Title: All Fired Up (Novella)
Author: Nikki Dee Houston
Genre: Erotic Romance
Publication Date: November 1st, 2013
Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions
3 stars
★★★☆☆
*sigh* Let me start out by saying this... this book REALLY had potential... a LOT of potential. I couldn't put it down, and I couldn't wait to read what happened next. The further in I got, though, the more I was swooning and wanting to be in that fire station or in Cindy's shoes. I loved the characters, and especially loved the way that the Cindy was a badass bitch, but still humble and willing to prove herself worthy... yet still attracted the attention of a major hottie, who really should've been off limits. The writing is well done, and flows well. I didn't notice many errors, which is of course something I tend to notice. I was so close to loving this book, but then...
The ending... UGH! THE ENDING! I know this was a Novella, but still. I am glad I didn't have my Kindle yet, because my phone which I was reading it on ended up thrown at 3 in the morning when I was done and I'm pretty sure I pissed the dog off with the string of WTFs that flowed out of my mouth when I was at the last page. I was angry. I was pissed. I was livid. I was [insert your word of choice to describe "really fucking irritated"]. I decided to leave it be and see if maybe, just MAYBE my book wasn't a complete copy, but when I checked the next day, sure enough, that was it. o.O
I feel as though this book would have done MUCH better as a full-length novel, instead of rushing through, then falling flat. I'd be ecstatic to see it become the start of a much longer, much more in depth story!
Rebecca
3 stars
★★★☆☆
*sigh* Let me start out by saying this... this book REALLY had potential... a LOT of potential. I couldn't put it down, and I couldn't wait to read what happened next. The further in I got, though, the more I was swooning and wanting to be in that fire station or in Cindy's shoes. I loved the characters, and especially loved the way that the Cindy was a badass bitch, but still humble and willing to prove herself worthy... yet still attracted the attention of a major hottie, who really should've been off limits. The writing is well done, and flows well. I didn't notice many errors, which is of course something I tend to notice. I was so close to loving this book, but then...
The ending... UGH! THE ENDING! I know this was a Novella, but still. I am glad I didn't have my Kindle yet, because my phone which I was reading it on ended up thrown at 3 in the morning when I was done and I'm pretty sure I pissed the dog off with the string of WTFs that flowed out of my mouth when I was at the last page. I was angry. I was pissed. I was livid. I was [insert your word of choice to describe "really fucking irritated"]. I decided to leave it be and see if maybe, just MAYBE my book wasn't a complete copy, but when I checked the next day, sure enough, that was it. o.O
I feel as though this book would have done MUCH better as a full-length novel, instead of rushing through, then falling flat. I'd be ecstatic to see it become the start of a much longer, much more in depth story!
Rebecca
Fires aren’t all that’s sizzling at Hillwood Station…
Cindy always wanted to be a fire fighter. When she tops the class in the rookie academy, she takes her first job at the small but busy Hillwood Fire Station—as their first female firefighter. Some of the crew don’t appreciate a woman trying to do a man’s job. But when the crew risks their lives in a series of factory fires, Cindy’s determined to not just keep up, but to excel.
But the fires aren’t the only thing smoldering at Hillwood. When Cindy comes face-to-face with the real-life, fireman-calendar pinup, she’s left feeling shaky and gasping for breath. Their attraction is white-hot, the sex is sizzling, and there’s no such thing as enough when it comes to their lovemaking. But things turn nasty when a dark past comes back to haunt Cindy, jeopardizing her career before it’s even really begun…
So, who is Nikki Dee Houston? I’m a businesswoman by day, an erotic romance writer by night, and a lover all the time. I share a modest beach shack on a small island close to the mainland with my very own real-life hero, and our two cats.
I began writing seriously about three years ago, mainly short stories and women’s fiction, but I’d always wanted to write the ‘behind closed doors’ stuff. When I saw all the hype about readers wanting more erotic fiction, I played around with a few stories, finally settling on erotic romance. I believe that a strong romantic element, combined with an interesting storyline, is necessary for good erotic romance. Having said that, I don’t underestimate the expectations of readers for some hot and steamy scenes, and try to deliver on all counts.
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her new career.
Excerpt PG
She removed her helmet and wiped the wet strands of stray hair from her face. Her forehead was coated in beads of sweat, and her breathing hadn’t fully recovered from the strenuous activity. Dave lowered his eyes to her heaving yellow-clad chest, then leisurely looked up until he was peering into her eyes in that unnerving way he had.
“You did really well. Just wanted you to know.”
“Thank you, Dave.” Relief swept through her, and she smiled. Quite apart from the physical exertion she’d just undertaken, she felt her heart rate suddenly increase. He smiled back at her, and she took an involuntary inward breath, making her sound like she was choking. Her face flushed.
“Well, I can see you need a break.” He turned and strode back into the fire station, leaving her rooted to the spot, feeling like a starstruck teenager who’d just met their favorite celebrity pinup boy in the flesh.
Excerpt (18+)
Powerful arms enveloped her and she felt his body against hers. He brushed her lips with his, then kissed her deeply, eagerly. Electricity shot through her as she returned his hungry, lingering kiss, willingly entering the passionate embrace. His tongue was warm, tasting of bourbon and salt, as he probed and met up with hers. He broke away from her mouth and bent his head, nuzzling her neck, and kissing her skin softly. Moving slowly around to the front, his lips caressed the little hollow at the base of her throat.
“Won’t your zumba group notice you’re missing?” As he spoke, his day-old stubble grazed her neck.
“I don’t care.” Her words were breathy and soft. With one quick movement, he removed her little T-shirt. He ran his hands up both her bare arms, softly, gently, deliciously, until they reached her shoulders. He inserted a finger under each of the black Lycra straps of her leotard, dragging them aside. He kissed her shoulders and tugged the top down, revealing her breasts, full, voluptuous, and begging to be kissed.
20 Fun Facts about Nikki Dee Houston
1. Nikki lives on an island, near the beach.
2. She enjoys sailing her 18 foot Hobie Cat sail boat, feeling the wind in her hair, and the salt spray in her face.
3. Nikki has two cats, and two dogs, who are her babies.
4. Nikki thinks that her own real-life hero is better than all her fictional ones.
5. Her favorite color is blue.
6. When Nikki’s not writing, she loves cooking and reading.
7. Her favorite food is freshly caught seafood, grilled with lemon juice and herbs.
8. If Nikki was casting the role of Captain Dave Johnson in a movie, she’d want Channing Tatum.
9. Who would Nikki pick to play Cindy Reece in the movie version of All Fired Up? Yvonne Strahovski. (Look her up).
10. Nikki’s first real boyfriend was a firefighter.
11. She has visited 29 countries in the world.
12. Nikki has several favorite movies: The Perfect Storm, Unfaithful, Nights in Rodanthe, Titanic.
13. Favorite author – Louis de Bernieres
14. Nikki grows her own vegetables and herbs.
15. The book Nikki’s read the most times – The Evening Class by Maeve Binchy – great characterization.
16. Nikki's idea of a great Sunday is when breakfast is served to her on the deck (particularly eggs benedict); a scan of the Sunday newspaper; either a walk, or a swim or sail; and then 'sundowners' - drinks with friends as the sun sets.
17. She plays several musical instruments – not all of them well.
18. Three things Nikki can’t live without: Internet, wine, and her pets.
19. The name of Nikki’s next book is ‘Picture Perfect’.
20. Did she mention she loves Chardonnay?
Excerpt PG
She removed her helmet and wiped the wet strands of stray hair from her face. Her forehead was coated in beads of sweat, and her breathing hadn’t fully recovered from the strenuous activity. Dave lowered his eyes to her heaving yellow-clad chest, then leisurely looked up until he was peering into her eyes in that unnerving way he had.
“You did really well. Just wanted you to know.”
“Thank you, Dave.” Relief swept through her, and she smiled. Quite apart from the physical exertion she’d just undertaken, she felt her heart rate suddenly increase. He smiled back at her, and she took an involuntary inward breath, making her sound like she was choking. Her face flushed.
“Well, I can see you need a break.” He turned and strode back into the fire station, leaving her rooted to the spot, feeling like a starstruck teenager who’d just met their favorite celebrity pinup boy in the flesh.
Excerpt (18+)
Powerful arms enveloped her and she felt his body against hers. He brushed her lips with his, then kissed her deeply, eagerly. Electricity shot through her as she returned his hungry, lingering kiss, willingly entering the passionate embrace. His tongue was warm, tasting of bourbon and salt, as he probed and met up with hers. He broke away from her mouth and bent his head, nuzzling her neck, and kissing her skin softly. Moving slowly around to the front, his lips caressed the little hollow at the base of her throat.
“Won’t your zumba group notice you’re missing?” As he spoke, his day-old stubble grazed her neck.
“I don’t care.” Her words were breathy and soft. With one quick movement, he removed her little T-shirt. He ran his hands up both her bare arms, softly, gently, deliciously, until they reached her shoulders. He inserted a finger under each of the black Lycra straps of her leotard, dragging them aside. He kissed her shoulders and tugged the top down, revealing her breasts, full, voluptuous, and begging to be kissed.
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